The Siren's Call

Summary:

The parents are missing from trying to change the world and Karkat Vantas lives a normal high school life with his friends in worry. All is peaceful until a sea troll discovers his blood. AU. Multiple genres.

Notes:

Notes:

Chapter Text

“Nepeta hurry up! You’re going to make us fucking late!” the nubby horned troll tapped his foot by the door in annoyance.

“Karkat, we are not even close to being late. You should calm down. You are once again, being angry at nothing,” the troll’s older sister patted his head with a smirk.

“Well if she keeps dragging on in there we will be late alright! I’m just making sure we won’t be!” Karkat smacked Kanaya’s hand away and the girl just continued to smile at him.

“I’m coming big brother!” a cat like troll bounded towards the door, leaving the nutrition block holding three lunch boxes in her hands, “Here don’t forget your lunch~! I made it myself so you better enjoy it~!”

“Don’t take all the credit now young lady,” a woman looking very much like Kanaya leaned at the entrance of the nutrition block.

“Hehe okay, gran helped me too,” Nepeta quickly shoved the lunch boxes into the arms of her older siblings and bounded out the door, “See you later gran~!”

“Good day to you mother,” Kanaya turned and when she saw Karkat turn to leave without saying good bye she elbowed him.

“Arg alright! Don’t have to hit me! See ya gran,” Karkat grumbled as the Dolorosa just gave a small laugh.

“Did you say farewell to your lusus?” the Dolorosa asked with the intention of bugging the angry troll a little bit more before he left.

“Yes we all did now good bye!” Karkat angrily slammed the door which just made the woman laugh some more before she went back to the nutrition block.

“I swear that woman just lives to irritate me!” Karkat grumbled as he stuffed his hands into his grey winter jacket and headed to the bus stop.

“She does it out of love and you know it. Plus you are quite easy and fun to tease,” Kanaya walked alongside the fuming troll, putting on her designer gloves, as their younger sister skipped and twirled ahead of them.

“You do too, geez, I wish mom and dad would just fucking come home already,” Karkat sighed.

“I hope so too but you know they’re in hiding along with Sollux’ father and Aradia’s mother,” Kanaya’s smile faded.

“I know . . .” Karkat said nothing more as they continued to walk, dropping the subject and hoping that the youngest of them did not hear what they said. It was a touchy subject for them.

After a moment of kicking snow around and yelling at Nepeta to stop rolling around in the snow, the bus arrived at their stop and the three got on. Each soon found their friends and sat separately. They were usually the last ones to be picked up before the bus headed to the school. Kanaya immediately sat by her girlfriend/matesprit as usual. Nepeta sat with her moirail who Karkat had suspicions of having red feelings instead of pale ones for his sister. Karkat sat with his pal Sollux in the second bench, behind a pair of male humans known as Dave Strider and John Egbert.

“Hey motherfucking best friend,” a voice bellowed from behind Karkat. The boy whipped his head around to find his highblooded moirail with his little sister the empress to be.

“What the fuck are you two doing here? I thought you guys had to take the highblood bus. You two sneaked on again didn’t you? Your parents are going to blow a fucking gasket,” Karkat glared at the clown.

“Hehe oh Karkat, it’s nothing, we like riding with you guys over all those other snobby and shellfish highbloods. And it’s not like they’ll know if we switch buses from time to time,” Feferi chirped.

“Sister’s right best friend. It’s way more chill on here, plus . . .” the clown’s eyes trailed off to an area to the back of the bus where a large horned troll sat in his handicapped part of the bus where his wheelchair was fastened, “Nicer motherfucking view on here.”

The sea troll girl just giggled as Karkat rolled his eyes and turned back around to meet with an enthusiastic human whose face was too close to his.

“What the fuck John!? Ever heard of fucking personal space!?” the troll yelled pushing the boy back and gaining some chuckles from the troll beside him and the other human.

“I just wanted to tell you something geez no need to get so worked up,” John just smiled as the hand left his face, “I hear we’re getting a new student in our homeroom today. It’s a troll, there was a big commotion about it because it’s someone of high rank I think.”

“Really? Guess what I don’t give a shit,” Karkat just glared.

“Of courthe KK wouldn’t care, why do you even bother JN? Even if this new kid ith a thea troll he’th not gonna care unless our parent’th have thomehow miraculouthly returned,” Sollux scoffed.

“Whoa man no need to get touchy on the parents thing again,” Dave said nonchalantly sitting with arms crossed in his usual cool kid demeanour.

“Wait did you say sea troll!?” Feferi asked, “I heard of someone new coming, and a highblood but not a sea troll. I thought I would at least know of this.”

“I dunno, Eridan mentioned thomething about it. Might be wrong,” Sollux just shrugged. The others around them, overhearing the conversation, began to talk about who this new troll could be.

“Fuck the caste system, who fucking cares,” Karkat growled, “Thanks to you I’m not gonna be able to walk around school without hearing something about this new troll.”

“Hey I thought it was interesting, and isn’t like the troll system really important to you guys. I for one think it’s silly, why can’t you guys just treat each other equally?” John turned back around as the bus began to near the school.

“Hey bro treading on dangerous waters again,” Dave warned his friend.

“Oh, oops,” John turned to look at the bench behind him to see the sad looks on Sollux and Karkat’s faces. Their parents were travelling and in hiding because they were doing something about the caste system. Not many of the trolls approved, so the small group that consisted of Karkat’s and Sollux’ parents, along with a few others, went out across the world to find followers and to spread the word. The Dolorosa was once with them, but had worried about the children so had come back to take care of them.

“Don’t worry guys! Just a few more sweeps and I’ll be empress and help your parents in what they’re doing and they can come home,” Feferi whispered trying to comfort them. She had to keep her voice low because no one knew that the travelling group of trolls who opposed the caste system had children. Who knows what the troll society would do if they knew their children were living among all the other kids.

“Thankth FF, that meanth a lot to uth,” Sollux cracked a weak smile.

“Don’t forget about me motherfuckers. Honk. I’ll be getting my help on too. Make sure all my brothers and sisters are equal,” Gamzee gave the pair a big lazy smile.

“Whatever idiot,” Karkat stood up and left the bus first, for it had finally arrived at the school. The group exchanged some concerned looks before filing out of the bus with everyone else.

“Hey is Karkat alright? He kind of left the bus pretty quickly, and not in his usual grumpy attitude. Nepeta is worried,” Jade walked up to John after having seen the event from her seat with Nepeta and Equius.

“Einstein here just stomped all over a touchy subject is all,” Dave dodged an incoming blow from said Einstein.

“It was an accident okay,” John pouted and stuck his hands into his pockets.

“I’m sure it was, but you should be careful John. Karkat, Nepeta, and Sollux have it bad enough as it is,” Kanaya joined the group along with Rose.

“Sorry Sollux,” John apologized to the Gemini.

“Don’t worry about it, it’th more touchy for KK than for me, and I wath the one who brought it up. I’m the one that thould be thaying thorry to KK,” Sollux shrugged.

“Not like all our adult wriggler makers have been mirthful messiahs to us either,” Gamzee stated. Feferi sighed at this comment and nodded.

There were rumours that Her Imperious Condescension and the Grand Highblood had an affair. Only a certain group of friend knew this was true considering they were friends with the siblings created from the affair. The highbloods were all hush hush about the situation because of the high rank the two trolls had.

“So you really wwere on the lowwblood bus,” a familiar voice caught the group’s attention.

“That supposed to mean something Ampora?” Dave asked, annoyed by the troll who mocked the humans and trolls beneath him.

“N-no, sorry, bad habit,” well, Eridan used to mock them, but after dating Feferi and through great convincing (neglect) by the others, he finally decided that she was right.
There was also that fact that the bus the group usually rode was not the lowblood bus. It was the mixed bus. There were specific buses for lowbloods, midbloods, highbloods, and humans. The only difference between those buses and the mixed one, aside from their names, was that there was only one mixed bus in the whole city. Only a certain group of four humans and twelve trolls usually rode this bus. Sometimes, if needed or for fun, they would ride the other buses.

“I texted you and invited you to ride with us,” Feferi cocked her head at her matesprit.

“And I texted you back that I had to take care of the neww student on her first ride on the highblood bus. After homeroom I havve to showw her around too. My dad bein’ the principal and all wwanted to make her arrivval nice since she’s higher than me,” Eridan sighed.

“Is she higher than Feferi?” Jade asked somewhat interested by the blood differences and levels of the troll’s caste system.

“No wway that’s impossible. She shouldn’t evven be higher than me but somehoww she just is. She’s just one of those highblood families that usually stay hidden and appear out of nowwhere to piss evveryone off. Anywways I just wanted to check on you and tell you since you didn’t text me back. Sorry I’ll be busy the wwhole day showwin’ this neww girl around.”

“Maybe I can join you later and kelp you and we all could have lunch with this new girl!” Feferi exclaimed.

“I wwish. The first thing she told me on the bus wwas that she had no interest in makin’ friends and did not wwant to be introduced to anyone. She demanded that I don’t evven try. She evven told me she’d rather be alone at lunch and that after today I make no other means of interaction wwith her at all unless it is direly important,” Eridan expressed his frustration about the new highblood troll.

“Wow sounds like such a downer, why don’t we join her instead of inviting her?” John suggested.

“I would advise against that action. From the sounds of this new student, she does not seem to like company. It may be due to her being a highblood sea troll or something that has to with why she changed schools or possibly even both,” Rose explained.

“I think she used to be homeschooled or somethin’ and her parents made her go to school. WWell that’s wwhat I’vve been told anywways. I havve to go back and continue accommodatin’ her to the school noww so see you guys at lunch,” Eridan gave Feferi a quick kiss on the cheek and ran towards the school.

The girl giggled a bit as she saw the retreating boy’s figure, whose cape was now replaced by a fashionable designer winter jacket. Thankfully he hasn’t worn his silly cape ever since he started high school, but still kept his scarf, “Can you guys believe how much he’s changed?”

“It takes a miracle to change that guy, I gueth that miracle wath you,” Sollux smiled. The two had dated before and it caused a huge fuss that included Eridan. Thankfully, they were all still friends after such a crazy incident. It was such a crazy incident that the group no longer liked to get into much details with. Junior high was quite a mess with the group, with them trying to figure out relationships and it seemed like high school was where they were finally settling into the right pairs.

The group of interesting friends continued to walk towards the school as the bell signalling their first class rung through the air.

****************************************

Karkat walked in solitude towards his locker lost in his thoughts. His parents left when he was two and a half sweeps old. They began to travel the world and speak about equality of trolls and they travelled with Kanaya’s, Aradia’s and Sollux’ parents. He thinks that they were acquaintances of some sort with the parents of the other trolls in his group, but he couldn’t remember which ones. The parents always tried to return at least four times a sweep either for a wriggling day or Pedigree’s eve, but something happened 4 and a half sweeps ago. Something big, it caused a big commotion in the troll society and none of the young trolls knew what happened.

It was around that time when the travelling parents stopped coming back to visit. It was also around the time when Karkat heard of the name Sufferer instead of hearing the usual Signless. Tavros’ father, the Summoner had suddenly disappeared around that time as well.

There was no way for the young trolls to contact their parents so they all got very worried. It had shocked Karkat when the Dolorosa suddenly returned a sweep ago. When she arrived, she immediately told them that she was in hiding and to make sure that no one knew she was there, except for the young trolls whose parents were still travelling with the Signless. Karkat along with the others were relieved to know that their parents were fine.

It was strange when Karkat asked about the reason why their parents stopped visiting. He knew it had something to do with the big commotion that shook the troll society, but the Dolorosa refused to answer. She kept giving him vague details and saying many times to not worry about it since their parents were safe. It was around this time when Terezi’s and Virska’s mothers, Mindfang and Redglare, disappeared.

It wasn’t so bad not having their parents around so much. That’s what the lusus were for. Adults trolls weren’t really meant to raise children, but the love of a parent could not compare to the love of a lusus. John and Jade mentioned some strange word, they called the lusus ‘nannies’ whatever the hell that was. Even with the humans finally merging in with the troll society, there were still so many barriers and differences between them.

“Out of the way shorty,” a tall human shoved Karkat to the side which made the boy snap out of his thoughts. The short troll had already gotten things from his locker and was heading to class until this jerk showed up.

“What the fuck!” Karkat yelled at the human, but before he could continue yelling at the human who just continued to walk and not care, his arm was suddenly yanked and pulled towards the other direction.

“Morning Karkles!” Terezi cackled while pulling the boy towards their homeroom. Vriska was walking alongside her sister, hands in her pocket, sporting a frown and a ‘fuck you all vibe’ that could almost match Karkat’s along with a black eye.

Terezi cackled some more before letting go while Vriska’s mood just darkened, “Well, I wanted to try riding the highblood bus today, thanks to Vriska I got on.”

So that’s why she wasn’t there cackling his ear off that morning, “And we saw the new kid.”

“I’m never taking you on the fucking highblood bus again! In fact I’m not even gonna go back so you can’t fucking ask me any more alright!” Vriska cried flailing her arms up, “I can’t believe you licked the fucking sea troll! She’s fucking higher than Eridan for crying out loud!”

“You licked the new girl!?” Karkat asked in slight shock and disbelief. Sure the girl licked a lot of things, but who knew she’d lick some random stranger that’s almost as high as Feferi, especially with the fucked up caste system.

“She did! And then the bitch tried to punch her but then this bitch,” Vriska motioned her hands at Terezi, “ducked and I had to be right fucking behind her and get hit infuckingstead!”

“Hehehe and then the sea troll went on about how if we ever went near her in school she’d have us culled,” Terezi finished the story completely unfazed with the death threat she received earlier.

Karkat couldn’t help but facepalm, “Terezi how many times have we told you not to lick every single fucking thing you find interesting.”

“Hey tasting is the best way of seeing!” Terezi countered. Karkat began to wonder why the hell he ever dated the girl. Now it was just as if she was some idiot sister of his, or well of the group that always got into some sort of trouble from licking everything. He also somewhat felt sorry for her actual sister who got caught up in most of the trouble Terezi caused. Most of the group really wondered how the hell they became sisters because everyone thought Mindfang had a thing with Dualscar before the two girls were born. Vriska knew but didn’t want to talk about it. Terezi always teased about telling but never did. The group swore that Eridan knew something too but he seemed more intent on not telling anyone more than Vriska.

“Her colour is cool! It’s Fandango,” Terezi said with great interest at the new found colour.

“What the fuck is Fandango, sounds like a stupid dance,” Karkat rolled his eyes as they neared their classroom.

“Sounds like some sort of kick ass Japanese food,” Dave Strider, appearing out of nowhere, intercepting Karkat’s reach to the classroom door knob and opened the door for the ladies to go in first.

Karkat gave a glare to the boy who cut him off. Dave just gave Karkat a smirk before bowing a bit, “Well ladies first.”

“Fuck you Strider,” Karkat attempted to kick him but the arrogant bastard moved out of the way letting Karkat kick the door and letting out a long string of profanities before the two walked into the classroom.

John entered the classroom seeming to be out of breath. It looked like he tried to race Dave to the class again and lost as usual. The other trolls and humans of their grade soon entered and took their respective seats waiting for their homeroom to begin.

“Hey sorry about earlier Karkat,” John apologized as he took the desk behind the angry troll.

“It’s fine just don’t bring it up again,” Karkat grumbled and sank into his seat.

“Alright listen up ya immature brats,” began their rude human homeroom teacher, “We got a special student coming to be introduced by the Principal himself so you all better behave!”

The whole class began to chatter about this new kid, wondering who it was until there was a knock on the door. Karkat was glad for the sudden silence the class suddenly went into, because he was starting to get a headache and all the students put their attention all to the door. Principal Dualscar entered the room, followed by his son Eridan, who looked like he was trying his best to not look irritated.

“Good day to you students,” began the principal. A couple of troll and human girls began swooning. Dualscar was known as one of the hottest adults in the school. All the girls had made a vote a while back and Dualscar was number one. Silly girls.

“As most of you knoww, there wwill be a neww student joinin’ your grade. She is a sea troll so you all must treat her with the utmost respect. Especially the trolls. It is recommended to the humans that you do not speak with her unless she speaks wwith you first. It may seem arrogant of her but she is not used to the strong tides of school life. So please do not try any form of interaction wwith her unless she interacts with you first. For the trolls, that is an order,” Dualscar explained. The class began to murmur to each other from the strange introduction. Dualscar whispered something to Eridan and the troll nodded. He walked over to the door and made a ‘come in’ motion.

Everyone went silent again with their attention glued to the door as an average sized sea troll girl walked in. Long straight black hair flowed behind her back as she walked towards the middle front of the class and turned to look at the students with a bored expression. Her hair was long enough to just pass her chest and it was perfectly straight, her bangs were of normal style with the bangs parted over to her right and a little longer than one would usually have them. Her horns began just a little bit behind her fin ears, they curved up and forward up to the sides of her temples before curving backwards wrapping around her head, then they curved once more, pointing upwards right behind her head on the sides. From the front it looked as though she had round horns on the side and points sticking out right behind them.

Her attire was quite plain for a highblood, only consisting of a sweater with an interesting shade of purple and some sensible jeans. The only strange thing about her attire was that she had a chain wrapped once around her waist and once around her hips, the two loops connected on her left hip where the rest of the chain dangled to the side and at the ends were two sticks, er batons that were as long as half an arm and quite thick enough to hurt someone if it hit anyone. Karkat immediately assumed that it was her weapon but wondered how anyone could fight with a strange thing.

“Miss Peixes,” Dualscar called. Feferi from her seat on John’s right stood up and walked to the front with a big smile on her face. Oh boy, she definitely had ‘I’m going to be friends with her’ on her mind.

“This is Feferi Peixes, the daughter of Her Imperious Condescension,” Dualscar introduced, the new girl politely bowed and shook Feferi’s hand.

“If there’s anything you need you can always ask me or Eridan okay?” Feferi chirped. The new girl’s face immediately changed into irritation after realizing Feferi’s intention and her ‘let’s be friends’ vibe.

“Alright . . .” was the girl’s response.

“Noww tell your neww felloww classmates your name and a little about yourself,” Dualscar waved Feferi to go back to her seat. The girl quickly went back and sat down looking at the new troll with great interest.

“I am Zylpha Maluna. I do not wish to interact with anyone so I ask of you to please leave me be. There is nothing required to be known of me for I will not be associating with any of you.”

Wow all Karkat heard was ‘hi I’m a bitch so fuck off’.

Notes:

Ancestors = parents.

The Dolorosa is the mother of Kanaya. She is also the mother of the Signless. The Disciple married the Signless so is considered her child as well. Kanaya is only a year/ half a sweep older than Karkat, Nepeta and Karkat find it too weird call her an aunt. She was then dubbed as their older sister.Yes they all keep their same blood colours even though they're related because they usually just keep the genes of one parent and don’t mix them together unlike humans. (haha my failed attempt at the logic of my version of troll biology)Also, about like half of the trolls have only one parent in this AU. It was too weird to pair some of them up.

EDIT:I was advised to take this test for my character/fantroll http://www.springhole.net/writing/marysue.htmI had to do it a few times because it was buggy and gave me a 55 after clicking one thing ;v;but after making sure it worked I got a 2017-21Fanfiction characters can go either way at this point depending on the writer. For an RPG or original fiction character, however, you're most likely perfectly fine.